Ralph H. Ballou

Ralph H Ballou, 96, passed peacefully from this life on March 14, 2012. He is preceded in death by his wife, Mary E (Christian) Ballou; his mother Louise (Leiendecker) Ballou; and brother, Herbert Ballou, Jr. He is survived by his sons Ronald (Carolyn) Ballou, James (Penny) Wyatt and Gary (Karen) Ballou, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Ralph became an insurance agent in 1948, and founded the Ballou Insurance Agency in 1961, which is operated today by his son Gary. He was active daily at the office until shortly before his passing. Ralph was a veteran of the US Coast Guard and served in WWII, earning a Purple Heart in the D-Day invasion. He was recently taken by Honor Flight to visit the WWII memorial in Washington DC. He was a member of Westgate Lodge #623 F&AM, 32nd degree Scottish Rite Valley of Columbus and Aladdin Shrine. His enjoyments over the years included his Euchre club friends, fishing, building RC model planes and traveling with his wife Mary, especially to Las Vegas. His life will be remembered by the people he helped, the friends he made and the families he raised. Friends may call at the SCHOEDINGER WORTHINGTON CHAPEL, 6699 N. High St., on Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. with a Masonic Service being conducted at 7:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the funeral home where family will receive friends for one hour prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. Visit www.schoedinger.com to leave condolences.